Adjustable crutch.



K. B. YATES.

' ADJUSTABLE CRUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2 19157.

Patented Mar. 11,-19-19,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

K. B. YATES'.. A `ADJUSTABLE CRUTCH.l APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2, |1917.

11316111611 Mar, 11,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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`Constitutesa modified folfm '0f the. inven' o YE `I-KATHECEtINll B. YATES, OF BUFFALO; NEW IYORK.

crutch.

sTATEs v ADJUSTABLE CRTJ'TCH.

To @Illia-Jhon?, t may concern.' Beit known that I, KATHERINE B. YA'rns,

a citizenV of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful "Adjustable Crutch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to crutches, and it relates especially to an One vof the objects of this invention is to provide a crutch of which the length and arm-reach Vmay be quickly and .easily adjusted to suit the user, and thereb to avoid the inconvenience and expense of t Ve method heretofore employed, of cutting off. or otherwise reconstructing crutches, and to avoid making' crutches of different .lengths and proportions.

A further object 1s to provide a crutch of Vthis character that is but little if any heavier than an ordinary wooden crutch of the same s1ze.v e

Another object is to provide a crutch of this character that is strong and reliable, and yet has the resiliency of an ordinary wooden crutch.

Another object is to provide a crutch of this character that issymmetrical in shape and sightly in appearance.

' The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar referkence numerals correspond to similar. parts throughout the severaly views, and in which,-

Figure 1 is an elevation `of the crutch according Vto one embodiment of the invention Fig. 2 is a view of the same partly in elevation and partly in section Y Fig. 3 is a fragmental, sectional, detail view, the section being takeny along the line 3---3y of Fig. 2;'-

l Fig. 4 isa vertical sectional view through the lower nut or socket device illustrated in Figs.1and2; Y p l.'

' Fig. 5 is one of the counterpart clamping members which when united constitute a modiication ofV the member shown in Fig. 6 1s an eleva-tion4 of avcrutch which tion; and'- Y Fig. 7 is anenlarged detail view illustrating the internal construction of the crutch .shown in-Ff Y\61.;f' .if 'In' the emodiment'shown' in Figs. 1 to 5 improved 1 adjustable Specification of Letters Patent. Patented' Mar. 11, 1919.

Application led November 12, 1917. Serial N o. 201,563.v

inclusive, the main frame or body' of the crutch comprises a four-sided open frame conslsting of twocounterpart uprights 10, van upper cross pieceor arm-support '11, and

the lower cross' piece' or socket device 12,.-y

which also comprises a lower adjusting nut. Screw-threaded into and extending through this nut 12 is a leg or lower adjusting member 13, on the lower end of which is secured a foot or ferrule 14, and on the upper end of which is screwed a nut or turnbuckle 15 which is formed with'a peripheral'groove in its upper end, which latter is secured in a socket 16 by means of one or more studs or screws 17, so that the member 15 is rotatable but immovableaxially with relation tothe element 16. The socket 17 is preferablyfan integral part of the upper adjusting member which also comprises a four-sided open frame on the lower side of which is formed said socket, and which lower side is connected atits opposite ends to sleeves 18. VThese sleeves are slidably mounted on the uprights 10 and are connected at `their upper ends by the hand-rest or handle member 19.

The lower. end portions of the uprights converge downwardly and are secured in the A socket member or lower main frame mem-ber 12 by means of screws 20, as illustrated in Fig. 2,or by other suitable means.

The -v member 12 may be formed in one integral piece, in which case the leg will be held in adjusted position by one or more of jthe set screws 21; but if the clamp (a member of which is shownin Fig. 5) is used in lieu of the member 12, then the screw 21 may be eliminated; whereupon the screws 20'become elements of the vuniversal clamping member or device of which the two counterpart members or jaws 22 k(see Fig. 5) are the kother elements, so that by tightening the screws 20, vthe jaws 22 are drawn together for.` tightly clamping the leg 13 as well as both of the uprights 10. VEach of the. uprights 10 is notched at its lower end so as to provide a f.

seat for the bolt 2O o n the side'of theleg 13 next to said notch, sothat, the uprights are retained in the sockets of the member 12 even if there is no clampingv effect on. said uprights. However, the combinedjclamping effect and locking effect of the screws`20ren.- ders the connection of the upright'sy and .the leg more secure and safe.V Y

The general shape ,of the combined leg and handle .devices 13 to 19inclusiveisthat ;g. of a spade handle, so that the h'and-holdf1'9 is separated from the strut thereunder (that carries the socket 16) by a space through which the lingers of the user extendV withoutV between the clamping members 22. The -leg 13,' must then be screwed outward or downward until the proper length of crutch is attained, whereupon, the set screw or clamping screws must be. tightened again until the parts are rigidly secured together.

In order to adjust the handle orhand-hold, the screws 17 may be loosened slightly so as to, allow the member 15 yto turn freely, and upon turning this member sufficiently in the right direction, Vthe handle is` slid up or down on; the uprights 10 until the desired adjustment is attained, whereupon, the screws 17 'may be tightened so as to secure the member 15 against accidentally turning.

The upper screw-threaded end of the leg 13' fits snugly in the member 15, s o that when thescrews`17, 20 and 21 are loosened andthe membery 15 is turned, the leg 13 turns therewith, so that the sleeve or member 15"1serjves as a common adjusting member for Ythe Ilegjand the hand-hold.

In the, embodiment disclosed in Figs. 6 andl 7, the main frame is substantially the sameas thatv in Figs. 1 to except that its lower member 12a is different from the mem- 'ber 12.as clearly shown in the drawings. VThe'leg member13iis substantially the same in each ofthe several embodiments. In Figs. 6' and f7, the upper end of the member 13 is inscrew-,threaded engagement with an integral ,extension of the adjustable, handle,

-which latter is substantially the same as nut 26'is fitted on the shank 24 and is operable ,to bind. against the member 12arso asutowprevent accidental turning of thenut l.23'which latter may be knurled so as to be operable'by hand, and may' also be provided with recesses 27 to receive a Spanner or other.operating-tool. The same is true 0f the lock nut`26. The frame member 12a may be .provided with cylindrical lugs or projections to eXtend'into the lower ends of the uprights 10, as shown at 28, althoughhmy invention is Ynot vlimited to this particular construction; nor is my invention limited to the other details ofk construction. described herein,y but it is susceptiblefof other modifications within the scope of the gap,- pended claims.l i

WhatI claim, as my invention isi A 1. In a crutch, a pair ofuprights spaced. 'from one another, upper and .lower end members connecting (the, upper and -g lower ends of the uprights,ahand-holdbetween and movable along said uprights, a leglongitudinally movable between saidy uprights and connected lthereto through ,the Amedium of said lower end member,- means correlated with said lower end member forsecuringjthe soV leg in different adjustedl positions relative,

`to said uprights, and lmeans correlatedv with said leg, but independent of lmovement. thereof, for adjusting Vsaid'handfholdrelative to said leg and uprights.

v2. Ina crutch, a pair of Vuprights spaced from one anotir/er, upper andl lower. Vend members connecting theupper and lower eX- tremities of said uprights, a hand hold .se-

cured between'and movable. alongI saidluprights, aleg vextending throughxsaid* lower end member andV betweeny said uprights, screw-threaded means correlated with said lower end .member for securing saidleg in different adjustments, and; screw threadedV means correlated withvsaidr leg-and operable,v

to adjust-said hand-hold relativeto said uprightsindependently of movement of'said leg.y

3.7111 a crutch, a pair of uprights .spaced from one another, upper and lower. end

members connecting the upper and lower ends of said uprights, a hand-holdsecured between and movable along said uprights, a leg'having external screw threadslthereon and being longitudinally movable between said uprights and eonnectedthereto through the medium of said end member, meanscorrelated with the lower end member forsecuring .the leg in differentV adjusted. positions relative to the uprights, and fineans comprising an internally screw-threadedelement for connecting said legctol vsaid hand.- hold, said internally screw-threadedelement being in screw-threaded engagementwith said .leg and being rotatably connected to said hand-hold.-.but incapable of longitudi nal movement relative to the latterfsaid screw threaded' element being.. operable'` to adjust said hand-hold relative to; said leg and uprights. f

from one another, upper and lower end members connecting the upper and lower ends of saidl uprghts, a hand-hold secured between and movable alongsaid uprights, a bearing element depending from said l1and-hold5 an externally screw-threaded leg longitudinally movable between said uprights and connected thereto through the medium of said lower end member, meansV correlated with Said lower end member for 10 securing said leg in different adjusted positions relative to said uprights, and an internally screw-threaded element in screwthreaded engagement with said leg and being rotatably engaged with said bearing 15 element and operable 'to adjust the handhold relative to said leg and uprights.

KATHERINE B. YATES.

Copies of this patentmay be obtainful for ve cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents.

` Washington, D, C. 

